Carton.



No. 759,027. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. G. H. SEEGMILLER.

CARTON.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904'.

PATENT OFF CE.

CHARLES H. SEEG-MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIO-NOR TO LOOSE- VVILESCRAOKER & CANDY COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI,

A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

CARTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,027, dated Ma 3,1904.

Application filed December 19, 1903. Serial No. 185,828. (No model.)

To ctZZ whmn it may concern.

Be it known tlmtLUHARLES H. Sn EGMILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Cartons, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description,such as will enable others skilled in theart to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the carton closed. Fig. 2is a perspective view of one end of the carton, showing the top sec- 5tion unlocked and partly raised. Fig. 3 is a plan view of that portionof the blank which produces one end of the top section and the adjacentend of the tuck -'flap. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary elevation, chiefly insection, on

about the line 4 4 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view ofone corner of the carton, the top section being omitted; and Fig. 6 is asectional plan view of the same corner of the carton on about the line 66 of 5 Fig. 4.

This invention relates to improvements in cartons-such, for example, asare commonly employed for packaging crackers and the like-and refersmore particularly to cartons 3 which embody means for temporarilylockingthe top section in closed position.

My object is to provide simple and eflicient means for enabling the topsection to be readily thus locked and for lessening the liability of thetop section to become accidentally unlocked.

To this end the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter"described and claimed.

4 Cartons of the general character of the present are old and wellknown, and therefore the construction of the major portion of the cartonneed not be particularly described in this specification, a carton ofthe general character of the present being disclosed, for example, bythe patent to F. M. Peters, No. 621,974, granted March 28, 1899. Such acarton as that to which the present invention relates comprises, ofcourse, a body portion and a top section which is adapted to close thecarton in 5 hinged at its back to the body portion, all as 5 5 is wellknown and Well understood. As is common in cartons of the generalcharacter of the present, a top flap 4 extends inwardly from each end 2,and at the forward or free edge of the top section is a tuck-flap 5,which when the carton is closed lies between the front section 1 and thetop flaps l.

Cartons constructed as thus far described have been upon the market forseveral years; but they are objectionable in that unless some 5 separateand additional fastening member is employed (such as a string tied aboutthe carton or a band or covering pasted about the same) the top sectionwill not remain in closed position, such top section frequently 7 flyingopen during handling of the carton. This accidental opening of thecarton is highly objectionable during handling of the same at thefactory, as it makes it necessary for the various operators tosuccessively close the carton and also makes it liable for the contentsof the carton to accidentally fall therefrom before the carton isfinally closed by the outer wrapper commonly employed and for the innerwrapper (usually a piece of paraflin- 30 paper having ends folded uponthe top of the crackers or other contents) to become disar- 'anged.Furthermore, with the cartons constructed as above described it has beenalmost impossible to cause the top section to remain 5 in closedposition after the usual outer wrapper has been removed by thepurchaser, thus causing the contents of the carton to be at leastpartially exposed after the customary outer wrapper has been broken.These difli- 9 eulties have been overcome by providing for temporarilylocking the top flap in closed position. This has heretofore beenaccomplished by producing a slit or kerf 6 at each end of the topsection in the line of the bend between the top section 3 and thetuck-flap 5, each slit or kerf 6 opening upon the end of the top sectionand extending inwardly a short distance, whereby each end of thetuck-flap becomes a locking-tongue 7. After the carton tion in closedposition until proper force is exerted to open it. This improvement justdescribed and consisting in providing the kerfs 6 to produce the tongues7, which engage under the top flaps, is not my invention and is notclaimed by me.

In the carton constructed in accordance with my present invention thebody portion is provided at each end with a short locking portion 9,whose free or inner end is at an angle to the front edge of the top flapand lies intermediate the ends of the cooperating lockingtongue 7 whenthe parts are in interlocking position, this inner end being spaced fromthe inner end of the cooperating locking-tongue. By the expressionspaced from the inner end of the cooperating locking-tongue itisintended to convey the fact that the inner free end of the lockingportion 9 is a substantial distance away from the hinge or bendingpointof the cooperating locking tongue. These locking portions are parts ofthe top flaps L and are conveniently produced by merely cutting a wedgeshaped piece from each top flap to present the recess 10 at the front ofeach top flap near what may be termed its outer end a, the flap endwhich adjoins the end of the carton. The short portion of a top flap atits front and between the outer end of said flap and said recess in suchflap thus becomes a locking portion 9, under which the cooperatinglockingtongue is adapted to engage, as clearly shown by the drawings. Byreason of these short locking portions the operation of locking thecarton is facilitated and all danger of accidental unlocking by reasonof the front edge of the top flap forcing the locking-tongue fromlocking position is removed, for should the front edge of the top flapnot register exactly with the slit or kerf 6 when the locking is aboutto be effected the locking-tongue when pressed inwardly, as previouslydescribed, does not have to lift substantially the whole front portionof the top flap in order to bring the locking-tongue 7 inproperly-engaged position, but said tongue has to lift only the shortlocking portion 9. Furthermore, as the locking portion presents an inneredge extending directly across the lockingtongue when the latter is inlocking position and this locking-tongue is not' engaged by the frontedge of the top flap outward strain upon the top section 3 merely causesthe locking-tongue to firmly engage under the lockingportion, therebeing no portion of the top flap to engage the locking-tongue at or nearits point of connection with the tuck-flap 5, and thus tend to forcesaid locking-tongue outwardly.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

' In a carton, the combination with a body portion including a front anda back section, end sections, and a top flap having a locking portionwhose inner end is at an angle to the front edge of said top flap, of atop section having a tuck-flap fitting between said front section andsaid top flap and slotted to form in part a locking-tongue positioned tobe forced below said locking portion of said top flap, said inner end ofsaid locking portion lying intermediate the ends of said locking-tongueand being spaced from the inner end of said tongue; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this lath day of December, 1903.

CHARLES H. SEEGMILLER.

Witnesses:

BERT L. HUPr, D. W. TRor'rEn.

